29 comments:

Funny thing about covers. They're faces to us. The faces of children we labored long and hard to bring into the world. How can we be critical?

We are. The moment we see them we're looking for a hankie to wipe off any little smudge we notice. Apply a little spit (Eww, Mom, you're spitting on me.) and polish one more time.

Harl/Silhouette has the author fill out an Art Fact Sheet detailing a ton of info about the book and suggesting a scene. This is the scene I wanted, but the clothing doesn't match the book. It's all about color, marketing, etc, but all I see is that my cowboy's black hat is brown, his pile-lined denim jacket looks biker-ish, he's not on the verge of collapsing from hypothermia on the heroine's porch, and the heroine's white nightgown is gone.

Do I care about pregnant women on book covers ? not really. I'm not sure I'd buy a book just because of the pregnant lady even though I love baby stories (I'll buy this one though, no doubt about it ;-).

Cowboys, on the other hand... I love cowboy stories and the more cowboy I see the better (see Carolyn Brown Lucky in Love cover).

Kathleen - You know sometimes I read a book about a short haired heroine when the model on the cover has long hair and I'm like "wth, didn't those cover art people read the book !!!"... Yeah I know, I'm naive ;-)

Emmanuelle - it's crazy how often the covers don't match the characters. But when they get it right, it's amazing. I pictured Reese Witherspoon the entire time I was writing this story. Not too far off, I think.

Book covers are just one of the things that draws us readers to the the books, it's like the icing on the cake, it makes you want to jump in and taste what's on the all that gooey srumptious filleing inside.. And both of these book covers will have readers wanting to bite into these book.WTG gals..

I love both covers. Pregnant women on covers just make me wonder what is the backstory behind baby. I can't wait to get this one Helen.

Kathleen, I love your name! I start thinking about Native American stories whenever I see.

I can honestly say that the cover on a book doesn't influence whether or not I will pick it. If the title grabs me then my imagination takes over, and I don't really look at the cover until I started the book already. I don't even read the back blurb. I want nothing to spoil my first look at the book. I just start reading it.

A lot of interesting things to think about. And the consensus is pretty positive. That's cool!

Paula, that's amazing you can start a book without reading the blurb! It probably makes a lot of sense given that marketing dpts may or may not know what some of the hook points are in the beginning chapters.

For example, don't read the blurb on the back on my 2nd Mirabelle book, NEXT COMES LOVE. The first scene doesn't have the same impact after the blurb.

Cover blurbs are written by the editor--or assistant, as in the case of ONE COWBOY, which has one of the best cover blurbs I've ever had. Generally they try to use market testing "sell" words. Sometimes they give away something better saved. Too often they come off as cliche. I'm really pleased with this one, and I was quick to let the editor know.

Nice teaser, Helen! I have noticed that a lot of books don't use back cover blurbs anymore. They just have a pic of the author or what reviewers say. For as long as I can remember, I never read the back covers blurbs. I remember when I started reading romances, there was always a blurb after the title and copywrite pages, but I felt like they ruined a surprise. Instead of focusing on the story, I kept wondering when I was going to reach the point they teased us with, and I lost something. So, I stopped reading those and any other thing written about a book I am interested in. I don't even read reviews until AFTER I am done reading the book.

Hello, ladies. It's Lenora1 I found your business card and decided I'd drop in and say "Hello." Cindy, I promise I won't spill wine on you. I don't know about that baby, but that cowboy looks pretty good on that cover to me! I've been cleaning my office--out of desperation since I can't find a clear path and I came across you blogspot card and thought well ... now I have a good excuse to STOP cleaning my office.I'm trying to finish a book and it's Friday and I have about three chapters left and ... well, you get the idea. Anyway, I think babies and about to be babies and cowboys always, always sell books.

Helen, I do the same with movies. I never base what I watch on what other people say. Everyone has such different tastes that it is difficult to go with other people say. I like to make up my own mind, because I have often heard a movie or song is good or bad, but I would go in and experience it for myself, and my perception is different. That is why I don't put much stock in reviews. If I like an artist, actor, author, singer, etc...it is based on what I think about them rather than what other people think. Of course, after it all, I add my two cents with the hopes that my opinion will sway others too...it's a catch 22 then.

A cover really never entices me although One Cowboy's Man has me a bit enticed to look further. I will always go with the blurb to see if I like the premise of the book. I don't like reading excerpts though. If I have time I will read the first page to see if I am really hooked.Love & Hugs,PK

Ok this is just me but if I read an excerpt then when I get to that part in the book I start thinking I read this before and for me it spoils it. I know I am too weird but it is what it is. The blurb or premise has to suck me in to want to read the book.

Pamela, it is not just you. I don't like to read excerpts either, especially if the book I want is months away from getting pubbed. Like you, I think it spoils it for me. Excerpt was the word I was looking for earlier. They used to put them in the third or fourth page of older romance novels, and I hated it. I just skip to the beginning of the book now. I think they ruin the surprise and discovery of what unfolds for readers. I do this with all the genres I read.

Phew I am glad I am not the only one *wink*. When I talk about a blurb I am referring to a short summary of the story I am about to read not a word for word excerpt. I always read the blurb and that is the hook that makes me want to buy the book. I could spend hours in a bookstore just doing that and discovering new to me authors. I would love to get a Kindle and discover the e-books but for now the ones I have won are sitting in my computer. Don't get me wrong I read them but it just isn't as comfortable sitting at a desk as it is getting curled up in an overstuffed chair or a deck chair with a cuppa coffee or a glass of vino by my side.

Pamela, I recently heard from an author who sold a couple of her older books--she'd gotten the rights back--to Kindle. That could become a nice bit of income for authors and a good way to get hold of a great book that's gone out of print.

But as a reader, I'm with you. I'm not ready to convert. My preference is still for the old print-on-paper model.

My views on a ebook reader are still in the maybe stage.. I love the feel of a new book in my hands. Knowing that I am the first one to read it and open that first page.. It feels so fresh somehow.. a little exciting to look at the cover and wonder what you will find inside.. I don't think you get that same feeling with a Kindle. As I said just my view....

Wow. She looks ready to drop! Not sure I would have done that for a cover. I'm happy to read about pregnant heroines, but I was taken aback by the giant image of her belly. Not that I think pregnant women aren't beautiful, but...she's ready to drop! LOL. What romance are they going to have with her in that state? And cowboys sell, if they are protective rather than Peeping Toms, right? Well, he does look like he is about to walk to the door, so I think that one is more appealing. And I love Christmas stories. But both covers are beautifully done. They look like locations I would like to be (if not a condition I want to be in at the moment). Cheers to all the mothers out there! :)